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The Usual Suspects: Answering Anti-Catholic Fundamentalists Paperback – January 1, 2000

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

The author of the perennial best-seller, Catholicism and Fundamentalism, presents here, not so much a sequel, as a supplement to the first groundbreaking work. In the first book, Keating gave a panoramic view of the attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians", highlighting prominent anti-Catholic individuals and organizations and discussing at length controverted doctrines. Here he presents snapshots, individualized portraits—some larger, some smaller—of arguments and people opposed to the Catholic faith.
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ignatius Pr; First Edition (January 1, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 195 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0898707730
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0898707731
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 21 ratings

About the author

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Karl Keating
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Karl Keating was born in Chicago, grew up near Los Angeles, and ever since college has lived in San Diego. After practicing law for twelve years he founded a Catholic apologetics ministry from which he is now retired.

He has written two traditionally-published bestsellers, one that sold a quarter of a million copies in paperback, another that sold half that many. (He also has written a few doorstops.)

Today he writes in multiple genres: religion, history, science, outdoors, publishing, and fiction. At the moment he is writing several books simultaneously. This is not a smart thing to do, but it's the way he works.

HIS NEWEST BOOK

"1054 and All That: A Lighthearted History of the Catholic Church" is the first book of its kind: real history, with an "attitude" that's sure to keep you smiling. (Publication date: December 1, 2022.)

A SERIES IN PREPARATION

This series should be available in early 2023.

It's a series (four titles, plus an omnibus) on how *not* to hike and backpack. Lots of books tell you what you should do before and during a trip, but it's equally important to know how to avoid blunders that could ruin what otherwise would be a fine adventure. The constituent books:

"How to Fail at Backpacking"

"How to Fail at Hiking Mt. Whitney" (already available at Amazon)

"How to Fail at Hiking Yosemite"

"How to Fail at Hiking Grand Canyon"

"How to Fail at Hiking" (omnibus volume)

OTHER BOOKS IN PREPARATION

1. A witty and profound collection of 365 witty and profound sayings of Samuel Johnson (1709-1784): a reflection and commentary for every day of the year. (Expected availability: mid-2023.)

3. A how-to-write-and-edit-your-own-book handbook, written in the voice of Mrs. Malaprop, the famed character from Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play "The Rivals." (Expected availability: mid-2023.)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
21 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2013
Karl gives an insightful straightforward defense of the Catholic faith. This should be required reading for all Catholics who take their faith seriously, as well as for those who want to arm themselves against lightweight Protestant attracts.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2014
Keating is factual, precise, and intelligent in his remarks for both sides of the aisle. Another must read on Catholicism and Fundamentalism as well!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2013
Mr. Keating does a wonderful of explaining where these perplexing and scriptural attacks on the Church originate, and who are the main culprits.
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2003
I approach Mr. Keating's books with great hopes, but always come away disappointed. The book does address many of the standard attacks against the Catholic faith, but too many of the "opponents" are presented as straw-men. The book has too much of the spit and polish of professional debaters and too little of the humilty and understanding that should be present in books of religious discourse. Mr. Keating presents many of his arguments as if he were arguing which pizza topping was better, green peppers or mushrooms. The book is useful in providing good footnotes for original sources.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2015
A great author who got it right.
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2001
The author helps Catholics answer arguments from Evangelicals, including answer the widely available, anti-Catholic video Catholicism: Crisis in Faith. Uncharitable statements make this book unsuitable to give non-Catholics. Can you answer charitably the following criticisms without looking at the answers? The book has the full answers.
1. Catholics worship statues whereas Exodus 20:4 says: "Thou shalt not make graven images."
The condemned graven images are those worshipped. God commands cherubs adorn the Ark (Exodus 25) and a bronze serpent be made to cure snake bites (Nm 21:9).
2. In general, how do you resolve apparent contradictions in Scripture?
Biblical contradictions are due to our interpretation, not the text (St. Augustine, Fr. William Most).
3. Catholics pray to saints whereas 1 Timothy 2:5 says: "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
We ask the saints for their prayers just as we ask friends. God knows our prayers and the saints see them in God's mind. In Rv 8:4, saints carry to God our prayers. Moses and Samuel were dead, but their intercessions were important (Jer 15;1)
4. Catholics say that Mary was ever virgin, yet Scripture speaks of the "brethren of the Lord."
Aramaic had no word for cousins so used "brothers." James, Joses, Simon and Jude are Jesus' brothers (Mk 6:3) and James and Joses are called sons of Mary, wife of Clopas (Mk 16:40).
5. Catholics use non-Scriptural sources for doctrines whereas 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says "All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching - for reproof, correction, and training in holiness."
The only "Scripture" at the time was the Old Testament. The New Testament is also inspired. Scripture is not the only source useful for these purposes.
6. Various Catholic practices have a pagan basis: genuflecting, sign of the cross, incense, bells, priestly vestments, holy water and the rosary (Mt 6:7 against repetitious prayers).
Practices such as singing need not be avoided just because the pagans used them. The pagan superstitious incantations should be. The emphasis in Matthew is "like the pagans" rather than on "multiplication of words."
7. Catholics claim that Mary is the Mother of God whereas Mary is the mother only of Jesus.
Jesus is one person; Mary is the mother of that one person. Speaking of His human person has no meaning. Mary is not the mother of God the Father.
8. Catholics insist on baptism whereas "For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel." (1 Cor 1:17)
Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again of water and the Spirit (Jn 3:5). In Corinthians, Paul was to preach first so those being baptized knew why.
9. Catholics call their priests "father" whereas Mt 23:9-10 says "Do not call anyone on earth your father."
In I Cor 4:15 St. Paul says he is spiritual father of his listeners. Our only heavenly father is God the Father. No earthly father surpasses our heavenly Father.
10. Catholics say that the King James version of the Bible is erroneous; God would not allow Christians to be mislead by the Bible.
The inspiration of the Bible does not pertain to a translation, only the original.
11. Catholics say that the Catholic Bible is an accurate translation whereas it was translated from the Vaticanus version rather than the Greek.
Recent translations, such as the New American Bible, are from the Greek and Hebrew. The Douay version was from the Vulgate, not from Vaticanus.
12. Catholics worship on Sunday, the day of sun worship, rather than on the Sabbath.
The Sabbath was made for man; man was not made for the Sabbath. Christians chose the day of the Resurrection.
13. Catholics say that good works are necessary whereas John 5:24 says "the man who hears my word and has faith in him who sent me possesses eternal life."
"Faith without works is as dead as a body without breath." (Ja 2:26) Although we do not earn heaven through our works, hearing the word means putting it into practice.
14. Catholics produce their own commandments and traditions, whereas Mk 7:7-8 says "Empty is the reverence they do me because they teach as dogmas mere human precepts. You disregard God's commandment and cling to what is human tradition."
Although Jesus condemns "mere human precepts," the Bible nowhere implies that it is the only source of faith. "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle" (2 Thess. 2:14). See also 2 Tim 1:13-14, 2 Tim 2:2 and 1 Cor 11:2. Jesus explained everything to his Apostles and sent the Holy Spirit to ensure everything was faithfully taught (Mt 28:18-20).
15. Catholics prolong the work of Christ in the Mass whereas Christ completed His work with His crucifixion.
The Mass is a re-presentation of the sacrifice of the cross; it is the same sacrifice, albeit without Christ's suffering.
16. Catholics claim that Mary was conceived without sin whereas Rom 3:23 says "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
The "all" pertains to the audience, not all humans. It does not mean children below the age of reason, insane people, Mary or Jesus.
17. Catholics have invented the idea of Purgatory. It is not mentioned in Scripture.
If Purgatory exists, members of non-believing churches gamble that nobody will pray for their release from Purgatory. Purgatory comes in part from Rev 21:27 ("nothing unclean" will enter heaven); 2 Mc 12:46, "he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin"; and 1 Peter 3:19, "he went to preach to the spirits in prison;" therefore, there is a place other than heaven and hell after death.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2007
What makes this book particularly valuable is the chapter on page 275 entitled "Three against one." The book shows how devious evangelicals are. In addressing the debate between Walter Martin and Father Pacwa on the John Ankerberg show, the book notes that the debate was severely edited beyond recognition. This wasn't Walter Martin's fault, it was John Ankerberg's fault. Ankerberg never let the true debate leave the editing room. Without this chapter, the book merits only three stars.

The weakness of the book is that it doesn't properly criticize evangelicals. It fails to address the Fabian origin of evangelicalism and fails to note that the Southern Baptist convention, along with Free Methodist and Anglicanism and so on are controlled by Freemasons. (The fabians published the Scofield reference bible at Oxford). It fails to pinpoint the Christian zionism of the evangelicals and modern protestant churches. These issues are at the heart of why protestantism is in theological error and, for that matter, political error.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2014
very good

Top reviews from other countries

Mr. C. Abbott
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2009
this book is a great companion to karls other book catholicism and fundamentalism
it is an easy to read book